Day Two Finals

"Smarus! That was fast," Luna said as I took my seat.

This time, I was sitting next to her and Lily… well I was next to Lily last time as well.

"Yeah, it didn't take as long as I expected," I yawned.

I stole a few skills, so I was a bit drained. I used 1000 mana to steal their skills, but I also managed to level up my magic, so that was a plus.

"I want to ask what your business was, but I feel like I shouldn't ask," Luna sighed.

"A wise decision," I looked back to the match.

One match passed while I was gone. Bodil was fighting some samurai girl, but it looked like she was struggling. Or perhaps Bodil was saving her strength for her fight against Donkor. Either way, I took this time to look over the skills I stole.

From the thief, I got the skills Stealth and Feather Step. They were both skills that would help me sneak. I didn't plan to sneak into any more buildings, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared.

From the knight, I received the skills Taunt and Ironwall. Taunt was actually a spell that forced my enemies to focus on me. Of course, depending on their magic level, they could resist it. Ironwall only boosted my defense.

Finally, from the mage, I stole Lighting Bolt and Magic Concentration. The lighting bolt spell was pretty self-explanatory. Magic Concentration had a lot of perks. The main one was that it would allow me to sense and use mana particles, so if I combined it with Meditation, the overall effects would only be multiplied. It also will help me regulate the mana consumption of my spells so that I won't waste any.

It was a fruitful encounter with those boys that made fun of Bodil. Part of me wanted people to talk more shit so that I could take their skills, but that would become a pain after a while. I sighed.

I looked back to the fight, but both competitors were heavily panting.

"Shit!" Bodil said out of frustration. "I didn't expect you to be this strong!"

Despite her aggression, she looked like she was actually enjoying the fight. Her opponent was also grinning. She looked more elegant and put together, but there was a sinister feel behind her smile.

"I as well, did not expect this battle to last for this long. Bodil-san, I applaud you for your strength," She sheathed her sword.

The crowd gasped as she did this, but anyone who was accustomed to battle knew what this meant. The samurai lowered her center of gravity and hovered her dominant hand over the handle of her sword. Bodil, holding a two-handed axe, held it out in front of her and began to chant.

I felt a chill fly through the stadium as everyone leaned forward. I also found myself on the edge of my seat. The sight I was witnessing was one that many warriors only hoped to see one day. A sight where the only thing that mattered was one's honor. A battle where you had to go all out.

The samurai closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She relaxed her shoulders.

"I call upon the spirits of They who Wield the Sword…" She quietly chanted.

A purple aura swirled around her as a coat of armor formed over the samurai. Her sword began to glow a bright purple.

"So in this moment, grant me strength!" Bodil surrounded herself in lighting again. 

Sparks flew as she pointed her axe at the samurai. She readied herself for one final attack.

"Guide my sword to victory," The samurai finished and opened her eyes.

Her eyes glowed yellow. Bodil locked eyes with her opponent. Everyone held their breath as this showdown was taking place. I wasn't able to take my eyes away from this sight. It truly was a beautiful battle. They stared for what felt like an eternity before they took their first step.

Whoosh!

They charged at each other and struck. They stood still with their backs to each other. The samurai sheathed her sword, and Bodil put her weapon away. Both of them simultaneously released their powered state before the winner was decided. Bodil fell face-first on the stage.

The crowd stood and cheered as the match came to a conclusion. No audible words were able to be heard for a solid five minutes before the announcer recovered from his shock.

"It was an amazing battle, but it had to come to a close! Touka takes an outstanding victory!" The announcer yelled.

As I sat back down, I noticed that Irene hadn't moved. She sat there, wide-eyed and in tears.

"How could she lose?..." She muttered.

"Irene, you should be cheering the loudest," I called to her.

"What? How could you say that!?" She narrowed her brow and yelled at me. "Big Sis said she would win!"

"She found something more important than winning or this tournament," I smiled as I looked at the paramedics getting Bodil. "She found someone she could proudly call her rival. A warrior's dream."

"Shut up!" She punched my chest, but it didn't even hurt. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She kept hitting me.

I watched as she threw her tantrum. Eventually, she stopped and just leaned her head against my chest. She was getting tears all over my shirt.

"I know… but that doesn't mean I have to like it," She said quietly.

I paused for a moment… mostly because I didn't know what to do. I never had a girl lean on me like this before. I sighed before I wrapped my arms around her.

"Hold your head up high and support your sister," It almost sounded like an order. "We can visit her after Donkor gets revenge."

She looked up before she rubbed her eyes. She forced herself to put on a brave face, and she nodded her head.

"Okay!" She looked determined. I was about to let her go when she spoke up. "Can you hold me a little longer?"

I looked down at her.

"No, the next fight be starting soon," I let her go and sat down.

She pouted and crossed her arms, but she smiled after a moment. She giggled before she sat in her seat.

"I figured you would say that," She smiled.

Her eyes were red and puffy, but she looked better. I smiled and turned my attention to the stadium.

Ding! Irene's character log updated!

Son of a bi…

"Now it's time to put an end to this tournament!" The announcer screamed. "We are currently giving Touka medical attention and a break as we speak!"

To explain what he meant, the nurses will be giving her an elixir. It will replenish her mana and health as well as take away any fatigue. Since there were virtually no side effects, elixirs are one of the most expensive medicines on the market. This only added to my suspicions about this tournament. After a few minutes, we saw Donkor step on stage.

"The man from the Land of Sand, and by far, one of the strongest people we saw fight, Donkor!" The announcer introduced him.

The crowd all cheered for him. It seemed like he even had a few fan girls.

"Donkor is actually pretty attractive."

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"Girls, look, he's looking in our direction!"

A few girls behind me squealed. I was greatly pissed off, but not nearly as much as Sonia. She looked back to say something but saw that the girls had the upper hand. Sonia looked down at her chest before she pouted. I couldn't help but chuckle.

However, Donkor saw Sonia and waved to her. She began to blush and play with her shirt. Donkor then locked eyes with me and frowned. The look on his face said everything I needed to know.

"You're next."

I smiled as I accepted this challenge. I stared back in a way that showed my excitement. Donkor nodded his head before he looked forward at his upcoming opponent. 

"And here is the return of the beautiful samurai! Touka!!" The announcer said as she stepped up on stage.

She walked with boldness and confidence. She was absolutely stunning as she stared at Donkor. However, I had other priorities.

Name: Touka

Age: 17

Strength: 5

Intelligence: 6

Agility: 5.5

Charisma: 3

Magic: 4

Class: Samurai

Mana: 700/700

How could her charisma be so low when she was so beautiful!? I thought about it for a moment. It must be due to the fact that charisma isn't only about looks, but about social skills as well. She must be a muscle head that was only good at fighting.

"Ahem!" A voice brought me out of my trance.

I looked to my right and saw Aurora and everyone else staring at me. When I looked to my left, Luna and Irene were also staring at me.

"Lord Smarus, you do know that it is rude to stare. Especially at women," Aurora sounded a bit annoyed.

Something inside told me that it was best to just nod my head and wait for the storm to pass. However, another part of me wanted to dismiss her because she was overthinking things.

"I wasn't staring. I never saw a samurai before, so I was curious about her abilities…" I thought aloud.

Lily seemed to believe me, but when she looked back at Aurora, she turned back to look at me. I sighed.

"I wasn't paying attention to the last fight because I didn't believe she would win," I shook my head. "I have better things to due than to gawk at women."

"Fine, Lord Smarus, but you should be more careful next time," Aurora turned back to the center stage.

The mood lightened a little bit, but I could tell that there were still lingering thoughts. I tried to stay focus on the upcoming battle. Donkor slowly drew his sword as Touka mimicked this motion. They stared at each other, waiting for the announcer to start the match.

"AAAANND… FIGHT!!"